Solar energy is becoming cheaper coal

11/02/2013

According to the power purchase agreement entered into between the El Paso Electric Company and First Solar, electricity, extracted thin film photosensitive elements, the company will be sold to El Paso Electric Company for 5.8 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This is for 4-8 cents cheaper than coal power, the cost of which varies in the range 10-14 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Power plant called Macho Springs Solar Park is located in New Mexico and has a generating capacity of 50 megawatts.

This fact is remarkable that the average consumer retail price of electricity in the U.S. is 11.4 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is two times higher than the price of the electricity power station. It is also worth noting that the typical price for a thin-film solar energy is 16.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, or 2.8 times higher.

Obviously, even in comparison with wholesale prices of electricity, it has a competitive price.

While such a price of solar energy has been made possible, in part due to government subsidies, it is necessary to consider that the evaluation of Harvard Medical School, to the price of coal energy is needed to add 9-27 cents per kilowatt-hour for medical expenses. Ideally, from an economic point of view, the world, the figure would be added to the price of coal energy, accounting for 10-14 cents per kilowatt-hour. Thus, the price of coal-fired power would have been 19-41 cents per kilowatt-hour. In addition, for over a century, coal energy received subsidies of this size, in comparison with which eclipsed the funds that are allocated for solar energy.